Chapter 118

Chapter 118

“Charon!” Zeros shouted quickly. Standing nearby, Sinbar’s expression hardened.

“As expected of Sir Hector...!”

“Amazing! He’s completely overpowering Charon Woodjack!”

On the other hand, Hector’s team members were letting out exclamations of praise.

He had finally knocked that arrogant kid down a few pegs...!

Schwing.

But Charon didn’t get swept up in the atmosphere.

He calmly took out his spare shortsword and immediately resumed the duel.

Clang!

However, after exchanging a few more blows, Charon couldn’t help but admit, I am weaker than him in direction confrontations.

This didn’t damage his pride.

The shortsword wasn’t Charon’s primary weapon, nor was close-quarters combat his preferred range.

Of course, he was decently proficient with most weapons... but the weapon that fit him the best was the bow, and his preferred way of fighting wasn’t direct confrontations but hunts.

Considering that fact...

The interior of the cave wasn’t at all ideal terrain for Charon.

It was plain to all that this wasn’t the best place to try and fire a bow.

Luring Hector here had been another blunder on his part...

Things would be different if he had a crossbow, but he didn’t have one with him.

Since that’s the case...

Should he try to suggest stopping this duel?

Return the situation to how it had been?

If they went back to fighting a team versus team battle and dragged it out until the Master of the Cave returned, then Hector would have no choice but to accept Charon’s offer.

He knew that—unexpected as it might be—Hector cared about his allies quite a bit.

It would be cowardly, but Charon didn’t particularly care about things like that.

What power did a promise made only with words hold?

However...

“...”

For some reason, the feeling of wanting to crush Hector here continued to erupt within Charon’s heart.

This was a new feeling for Charon.

“Interesting. Then I’ll also—”

It was then that something completely unexpected happened.

Rumble!

With a loud rumble that sounded as if the sky was falling, the ceiling actually began to cave in.

“...!”

Broken shards of stone fell like hail.

Some were large enough to be called boulders, so Charon immediately shifted his attention to dodging.

Rumble...

After dodging all the falling rocks, he coughed from the dust cloud that had been stirred up.

What is—

At this moment, he saw the silhouette of some huge creature straighten its back within the dust cloud.

“...!”

It was so large that one would need to tilt their neck to see its entirety. It was wearing worn-out clothes that covered its pale skin.

And in its hand was a huge club as big as a tree.

The Master of the Cave!

Had it perhaps entered the cave by breaking through the ceiling?

It was unbelievable, but this monstrous creature might well be capable of that.

Charon immediately checked his surroundings.

Due to the dust, the interior terrain of the cave had changed.

He couldn’t see the young heroes who had been spectating the duel from a distance.

Had they been crushed to death?

That was unlikely. Although this situation was unexpected, they weren’t so useless as to just die without even reacting to the threat.

It was more likely that the stones and debris were blocking his line of sight to them.

The problem was that the fallen rocks had blocked the entrance.

“Dodge!”

As he heard the sudden shout, Charon’s focus returned and he rolled on the ground.

Boom!

The tree club smashed into the ground right where he had been standing, and the hard ground of the cave shattered like glass.

It was a frightening level of power...

“...”

But he also felt that something was off.

He had fought the Master of the Cave before, and for some reason, this felt a little different.

It was acting much more aggressive.

After looking at the creature for a moment, Charon immediately realized why.

Is it hurt?

The straw mat over its body was dyed with blood, and he could hear its breathing was harsher as well.

It seemed to be injured... In that case, the Master of the Cave might not have intended its sudden entrance.

Maybe it was being chased by something, so it hurriedly tried to return to its hideout?

But who could damage this creature?

Hector approached him within the dirt cloud. “Charon.”

“What?”

Boom...!

As the Master of the Cave fell to one knee, Hector immediately charged forward.

Since the monster was over 10 meters tall, one dash wasn’t enough.

After landing on the enemy’s knee, Hector immediately ran up the wide giant’s body and reached its neck.

Its neck is too thick.

It looked difficult for Hector to slice it off in one breath with his current weapon.

Or at least, that would’ve been the case normally.

Creak.

Sword ki erupted from his hilt up the entire blade, dyeing it blue.

In this state, he twisted his wrist to perform a unique movement, creating an odd shaking in the blade as an afterimage was formed.

This was Hector’s sword art, Shadow Sword.

Sla-slash!

Although he only swung his sword once, it sounded as if he had swung multiple times.

After his strike, blood flowed from the monster’s neck.

Is it dead?

He’d definitely felt it through his sword. He hadn’t merely sliced the monster’s veins, he had cut deep into its body.

“You idiot! Dodge!”

The moment he heard Charon’s voice, Hector jumped down from the giant’s body without hesitation.

Vwoong!

He felt as if an iron mace had flown by his head.

Had it swung its club right before it died?

If Hector had taken that head-on, he would’ve immediately been flattened. He shivered as goosebumps ran down his back.

Boom...!

The Master of the Cave finally collapsed.

It was so big that it created a ton of dirt clouds even when it fell over.

“...Is it dead?”

Perhaps because he heard Hector’s mumbling, Charon drew his bow back again.

This time, it was nocked with three arrows.

P-p-pwing...

Like magic, the three arrows all landed on different weak points.

B-b-boom...

And three small explosions were heard afterward.

The Master of the Cave didn’t react at all, and soon, its body began to be surrounded by light.

“Fuu...”

Seeing this, Charon and Hector both immediately relaxed.

Hector was honestly in a state of shock as he looked down at his own sword.

That Shadow Sword I just used...

It had been much stronger than usual. He couldn’t say how he had done it either.

He wasn’t confident he could replicate it even if he tried right now, while the feeling was still fresh.

If I can make that feeling mine...

He might have just found the hint that would allow him to reach the next level.

On the other hand, Charon just stared at the body of the Master of the Cave as it began to slowly disappear.

Because it was so big, it was slow to vanish.

We somehow ended up defeating it with just the two of us.

But he didn’t feel especially good about this situation.

If the monster hadn’t been hurt so badly, they wouldn’t have had a chance.

Finally, freed from thinking about the battle, his brain began to function again.

Why had it been injured?

Thinking about it now, the way it had crashed through the ceiling of the cave and moved about, it was as if...

—Maybe it was being chased by something, so it hurriedly tried to...

Charon looked up at where the monster had broken through into the cave.

Through the broken ceiling, he could see the cold air of winter and the sun making its presence known.

“...?”

Suddenly, a shadow covered the sun.

The moment he wondered what it was...

BOOM!

Something fell into the cave, making a loud commotion as it did.

More than falling in, it was so fast that it looked like it had dashed directly into the ground.

Not even Charon could track it even though he had been looking up at the opening the entire time.

“...What the? Why is it dead?”

When Hector heard that voice, he doubted his ears.

From between the clouds of dust, a familiar gold-haired young hero raised his head.

“...Luan Bednicker?”

“Hm?” Luan looked around, his expression curious as he said, “Charon?”

Charon flinched as his body shivered.

“And Hector.”

Hector couldn’t tell him off like usual with a demand that he be called older brother.

“What the?” Luan smiled. “Everyone was here.”

It should’ve been the two brothers’ touching reunion, but both Hector and Charon took a few steps back instead.